Council agrees proposals for second round of Levelling Up Fund
Highland Council has agreed proposals for Round 2 of the Levelling Up Fund bid, with submissions expected to be submitted in June 2022.
Three bids including projects in Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross; Ross, Skye and Lochaber; and a NC500 transport bid, will be submitted.
The Chancellor set out details of the UK Levelling Up Fund in March 2021. The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund is intended to invest in infrastructure including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. Investment will be prioritised for local areas that are most in need of economic recovery and growth, transport connectivity and regeneration, with each local authority being given a category of 1, 2 or 3 against the criteria. Highland Council has been assessed as a category 3 area which is the lowest category in terms of need based on the metrics used.
Highland Council agreed that three bids would be submitted. The Council was successful in the bid for the Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch & Strathspey, and the projects are now being delivered.
The remaining two bids – the NC500 transport bid and the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross constituency bid were not successful, although deemed to have merit. Detailed feedback has subsequently been received and further work is being undertaken to develop these bids for the second round.
Work is also underway on the final bid, which is for the Ross, Skye and Lochaber Constituency. It is proposed that there will be three elements:
- Portree Harbour Regeneration for which proposals are well advanced, with strong engagement taking place with the Portree and Braes Community Trust and other local partners. A masterplan has been prepared to guide the bid.
- Ullapool Waterfront Regeneration which comprises improvements to the waterfront, which will improve access to the ferry terminal and provide opportunities for further tourism related developments. This scheme already has planning permission and is effectively ready to be delivered if the funding gap can be closed, and the Council is working with the Harbour Trust to demonstrate the socio-economic benefits that will arise.
- Fort William/Lochaber Project, with detailed options being considered and worked on.
Leader of the Highland Council, Margaret Davidson said: “I am pleased to see the progress being made on these further bids. Our communities across Highland all need economic regeneration. Transport connectivity is also a huge problem for people. These bids offer us hope of making a real difference.”
Cllr Davidson added that lobbying on the Council’s future share of the Shared Prosperity Fund will also be a top priority for the Council.
The full report is published on the Council’s website at this link.